Infant&#39;s toilet seat



Sept 18, 1951 w. w. CUNNINGHAM 2,568,322

INFANT S TOILET SEAT `Filed March 2, 1946 Patented Sept. 18, 1951 INFANTS TOILET SEAT Wesley W. Cunningham; Tulsa, Okla.; Mary Louise Cunningham administratrix of said Wesley W. Cunningham, deceased Application March 2, 194s, serial No. 651,470

4 Claims.

'I'here is disclosed in the following specification and the drawings accompanying the same and forming a part of this application for patent, an invention the primary purpose of which is to provide a safety attachment for toilets whereby infantsY may be held thereon without danger of falling in or from the toilet bowl.

Another object of the invention is to provide a false toilet seat having means whereby it may be securely attached to a commontoilet seat.

This invention has for another object to provide a portable toilet seat for use of children.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a collapsible toilet seat.

The primary object of the invention, of which the accompanying drawings are illustrative, is the provision of means whereby infants may be seated upon a toilet and left there in safety while the mother or nurse may go about other duties without fear.

Other features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying illustrative drawings in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of the invention,

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view thereof in which the dotted lines illustrate .the folded positions of the pair of arm panels forming a part of the seat,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3 3 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is an elevational view of the invention shown collapsed.

While one embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the above referred to drawings, it is to be understood that they are merely for the purpose of illustration and that various changes in construction may be resorted to in the course of manufacture in order that the invention mayY be utilized to the best advantage according to circumstances which may arise, without in any way departing from the spirit and intention of the device which is to be limited only in accordance with the appended claims. And while there is stated the primary iield of utility of the invention it remains obvious that` it may be employed in any other capacity wherein it may be found applicable.

In the accompanying drawings, and in the following specication, the same reference char-acters are used to designate the same parts and elements throughout and in which II, refers to the complete invention which consists of a seat II formed in two sections I2 and I3 connected by hinge means comprising afpar of hinges I4 and I5 which are secured by screws to the un- 4dersurfaces I 6 and I1 of said members I2 and I3. The sections I2 and I3 are provided with facing semi-cylindrical cut-outs I8 and I9 eX- tending from the inner butting edges of the seat sections toward the outer edges thereof and which when the seat is opened up or unfolded form the cylindrical seat opening 20. Hinged to the respective outer edges 2| and 22 of the seat sections I2 and I3 are arm panels 23 :and 24 which butt against the outer edges of the seat sections to extend vertically upward therefrom when the seat is unfolded for use and are foldable inward toward each other to rest against the under sides of the seat sections when the seat is folded. These arm panels are held in vertical position by straps 25 and 26 Vwhen the device is set up for use. These straps are fixed at one end 21 to one edge of an arm and attachable by a hook or button 28 to the other arm whereby an infant seated on the device will be securely penned in. As best shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the hinges III and I5, by virtue of the lateral offsets in the blades thereof, also serve to space the under sides of the seat sections I2 and I3 apart a distance at least equal to the combined thicknesses of the arm panels 23 and 24 when the seat II is folded, whereby the arm panels may be accommodated between the seat sections.

Adjacent the bottom rear end 29 of the seat, a rigid L-hook 30 is provided which is adapted to catch under the toilet seat 3|. Preferably, this hook is in the form of an extension from one end of the pivot pintle included in the hinge I5, whereby it is rendered freely pivotal relative to the seat sections I2 and I3. Hinged to the forward under portions 32 and 33 of the seat sections I2 and I3, respectively, by means of hinges 36 and .31, respectively, are a pair of stops 34 and 35. These stops are positioned out of the paths of folding movement of the arm panels 23 and 2li and are adapted when the device is collapsed to lie flat on the surfaces I6 and I1 and when swung down vertically to maintain that vertical position for the purpose of preventing the seat I I from any possibility of sliding forward whereby the seat II will be safely secured to the seat 3l.

The'above described device is not only adaptable for home use but because of its collapsible nature is also well adapted for use in travelling, as when folded it requires little space.

From the foregoing specification it will become apparent that the invention disclosed will adequately accomplish the functions for which it has been designed and in an economical manner and that its simplicity, accuracy and ease of operation are such as to provide a relatively inexpensive device considering what it will accomplish and that it will find an important place in the art to which it appertains when once placed on the market.

It is thought that persons skilled in the 4art to which the invention relates will be able to obtain a clear understanding of the invention after considering the description in connection with the drawings. Therefore, a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary,

Changes in shape, size and rearrangement of details and parts such as come within the purview of the invention claimed may be resorted to, in actual practice, if desired.

What is claimed to be new is:

1. A foldable infants toilet seat, comprising a pair of foldable seat sections having outer edges and having inner edges which are adjacent each otherl when said sections are unfolded, said seat sections having facing curved openings extending from the inner edges thereof toward the outer edges thereof to form a seat when said seat sections are unfolded, a pair of arm panels, hinge means respectively hinging said arm panels to the respective seat sections along the outer edges of said seat sections so that said arm panels extend vertically upward from said seat sections when the seat is unfolded for use and are foldable inwardly toward each other to rest against the under sides of said seat sections when the seat is folded, and hinge means hinging said seat sections together along the under sides thereof and provided with means for displacing said under sides of said seat sections apart a distance at least equal to the combined thicknesses of said arm panels when said seat sections are folded toward each other with the arm panels folded against the under sides of said seat sections.

2. A fold-able infants toilet seat, comprising a pair of foldable seat sections having outer edges and having inner edges which meet when said sections are unfolded, said seat sections having facing curved openings extending from the inner edges thereof toward the outer edges thereof to form a seat when said seat sections are unfolded, a pair of arm panels, hinge means respectively hinging said arm panels to the respective seat sections along the lower outer edges of said seat sections so that said arm panels butt against the outer edges of said seat sections and extend vertically upward therefrom when the seat is unfolded for use and are foldable inwardly toward each other to rest against the under sides of said seat sections when the seat is folded, hinge means hinging said seat sections together along the under sides thereof provided with means for displacing said under sides of said seat sections apart a distance Aat least equal to the combined thicknesses of said arm panels when said seat sections are folded toward each other with the arm panels folded against the under sides of said seat sections, and strap means xedly connected to one of said arm panels and detachably connectible with the other of said panels for retaining said arm panels in vertically upright positions and for restraining an occupant of the seat against leaving the seat when the seat is occupied.

3. A foldable infants toilet seat, comprising a pair of foldable seat sections having outer edges and having inner edges which meet when said sections are unfolded, said seat sections having facing curved openings extending from the inner edges thereof toward the outer edges thereof to form a seat when said seat sections are unfolded, a pair of arm panels, hinge means respectively hinging said arm panels to the respective seat sections along the lower outer edges of said seat sections so that said arm panels butt against the outer edges of said seat sections and extend vertically upward therefrom when the seat is unfolded for use and are foldable inwardly toward each other to rest against the under sides of said seat sections when the seat is folded, hinge means hinging said seat sections together along the under sides thereof and provided with means for displacing said under sides of said seat sections apart a distance at least equal to the combined thicknesses of said arm panels when said seat sections are folded toward each other with the arm panels folded against the under sides of said seat sections, and retaining means for detachably securing the seat to a toilet seat when unfolded for use, said retaining means including a pair of securing elements respectively hinged to the under sides of said seat sections in positions removed from the paths of folding movement of said arm panels and adapted to be pivoted between positions against the under sides of said seat sections and retaining positions angularly related to the under sides of said seat sections.

Ll. A foldable infants toilet seat, comprising a pair of foldable seat sections having outer edges and inner edges which meet when said sections are unfolded, said seat sections having facing curved openings extending from the inner edges thereof toward the outer edges thereof to form a seat when said seat sections are unfolded, a pair of arm panels, hinge means respectively hinging said arm panels to the respective seat sections -along the lower outer edges of said seat sections so that said arm panels butt against the outer edges of said seat sections and extend vertically upward therefrom when the seat is unfolded for use and are foldable inwardly toward each other to rest against the under sides of said seat sections when the seat is folded, hinge means hinging said seat sections together along the under sides thereof and including means for displacing said under sides of said seat sections apart a distance at least equal to the combined thicknesses of said arm panels when said seat sections are folded toward each other with the arm panels folded against the under sides of said seat sections, retaining means for detachably securing the seat to a toilet seat when unfolded for use, said retaining means including a pair of securing elements respectively hinged to the under sides of said seat sections in positions removed from the paths of folding movement of said arm panels and adapted to be pivoted between positions against the under sides of said seat sections and retaining positions angularly related to the under sides of said seat sections, and strap means xedly connected to one of said arm panels and detachably connectible with the other of said arm panels for retaining said arm panels in vertically upright positions and for restraining an occupant of the seat against leaving the seat when the seat is occupied.

WESLEY W. CU'NNNGHAM.

(References on following page) REFERENCES CITED Number The following references are of record in the 114051370 111e of this patent: gfg UNITED STATES PATENTS '2,411,137 Number Name Date 2,443,068

417,606 Tttman Dec. 17, 1889 857,914 Weber June 25, 1907 1,233,263 Bach July 10, 191'1 Number 1,339,891 Howe May 11, 1920 10 f 449,763 1,342,715 4Howe June 8, 1920 Name Date Weaver Jan. 31, 1922 Meath Aug. 4, 1931 Saunders 1 Sept. 28, 1937 Neufeld Nov. 12, 1946 Dahle June 8, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany Sept. 26, 1927 

